ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lean — thin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com